Interim Evaluation of the German CAP Strategic Plan: Rural development, Added Value of LEADER and Gender Equality

Background and Objective

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the EU’s main funding instrument for agriculture and rural areas. Germany’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027 amounts to approximately €34 billion (inclunding national co-financing). The funded measures are intended to contribute to achieving the CAP’s ten objectives.

More than €3 billion are allocated to rural development measures that focus on infrastructure, public services and regional self-organisation in rural areas. We are evaluating their results and impacts.

Nearly half of this rural development funding is allocated to LEADER, a bottom-up approach that supports rural actors in harnessing the specific potential of their region and thus contributing to its development. In addition to assessing the contributions of LEADER to rural development, we are also evaluating its added value compared to other measures. 

Gender equality is a core principle of the European Union. According to the CAP Strategic Plan Regulation, gender equality should be an integral part of the planning, implementation and evaluation of measures under the CAP. We are responsible for the gender equality synthesis report for the interim evaluation of the German plan.

In addition to answering specific questions, the evaluation also aims to generate insights that will inform the preparation of the next funding period.

Approach

The evaluation follows both European and national requirements, primarily the EU’s Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and the general evaluation concept for the German CAP Strategic Plan. These frameworks define the evaluation questions to be addressed, as well as the success factors and indicators to be taken into account. The evaluation will assess the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value. Simplification for administrations and beneficiaries are also evaluated.

In assessing the added value of LEADER, three components are considered: improved governance, strengthened social capital and enhanced project outcomes.

The synthesis of findings on gender equality will examine both the implementation of concrete measures and the overarching programme design.

To answer the evaluation questions, a variety of data sources will be used:

• Official documents and existing literature
• Monitoring and funding data
• Surveys and interviews/focus groups with public authorities and beneficiaries
• Regional case studies